


a lovely way to burn

by viciousvices



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-19
Updated: 2015-07-19
Packaged: 2018-04-10 03:34:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4375616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/viciousvices/pseuds/viciousvices
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It would make sense that Erwin would behave this way after Levi had come to him that night. He was still unsure whether he regretted it or not.</p>
            </blockquote>





	a lovely way to burn

**Author's Note:**

> this chapter is all backstory, which is funny because this story was never supposed to have a plot. it was just supposed to be gratuitous porn. but i like to make things difficult for myself. also, i fudged canon a little. but you're not here for that, are you? you're just here for erwin's knot. same.

From the start, Levi had set three rules; no scenting with anyone else directly before or during his heats, no knotting, and no marking. Biting was allowed as long as it was below the waist. He was enticing all over, so it wasn’t the most difficult thing for Erwin to keep his mouth confined to muscled thighs and strong calves, but he would be lying if he said it wasn’t a shame that he’d never see his teeth marks decorating Levi’s back and chest.

\--

Their physical relationship began just after a rocky point in their professional one, when trust was given in inches and they seemed to dance around each other as if on eggshells. Back then, almost a year into his service, Levi still wasn’t sure what to make of the squad leader, who continued to treat him with the cool distance he did when they first met. Erwin would later go on to tell him that he kept his at an arm’s length out of respect, whatever that meant. They rarely spoke outside of work-related matters, neither one of them enjoying small talk, and Levi wasn’t sure if he was grateful for their detached relationship, or unnerved by how tense it seemed.

He couldn’t say he disliked the man anymore, the longer they worked together. Erwin was not one for typical alpha posturing but carried himself with dignity. The omega in Levi felt more docile than submissive towards him, which he decided was the result of his upbringing. Being conditioned like an alpha instilled a fire within him that saved his life, but made it hard to behave the way his biology dictated he should.

Though Erwin treated him like a subordinate, Levi never felt inferior. Perhaps that was more important to him than he realized, because when his heat hit, he found himself slumped against Erwin’s door in the middle of the night.

Levi wasn’t there for long before the door opened and he was caught in strong arms and a warm chest instead of falling to the floor. Erwin must’ve smelled him, allowing him to react so quickly. Levi groaned, sweating and pounding on his chest with a weak fist. “Kill me,” He slurred.

“Levi?” Erwin sounded alarmed and confused, his deep voice gravelly after having just woken up. “Your medical records said you were on suppressants—”

“I am.” _He looked at my medical records?_ Levi felt himself being slung over Erwin’s shoulder and walked across the room. “I don’t know what the fuck is going on.”

In hindsight, it was obvious. His body was physically strong, but his system was weak. He wasn’t a healthy child and the consequences of that continued to haunt him into adulthood, with frequent upset stomachs and illnesses that clung to him longer than they would anyone else. What’s more, there was limited access to suppressants underground, so while the other soldiers had been taking the suppressants since presenting in adolescence, adjusting to a steady dose of the medicine at an older age was difficult.

The heat suppressants often left him struggling with several side effects, such as nausea, dry mouth, and lethargy, so two weeks prior, the medical staff had decided to lower his dosage by half. Looking back, it made sense that the lower dosage would’ve allowed this disruption, since he had put on nearly twenty pounds of muscle mass and had gotten a better handle on his health since living on the surface, so their effectiveness would have also gone down. Without the restraints of the medication, Levi’s reproductive system rocketed into overdrive and put him through the first heat he had had in a year. While a standard heat would last five to seven days from start to finish, he knew how his body handled the hormonal shift, and knew that he would be bedridden for at least nine.

Erwin swore under his breath and carefully deposited Levi onto his bed. The sheets were still warm but he made pained noises when Erwin let go of him to shut and lock his door. The room was dark, save for a low-burning lamp on the desk. He heard Erwin slide a chair across the floor to the side of the bed and settle into it.

Neither of them spoke, but there was a noticeable shift in the air.

“You came to me because I’m the closest alpha to you in these quarters.” He said after a long pause. “It’s instinct that brought you here, to seek protection.” Erwin likely meant to be comforting, but Levi was in no fit state to hear it. Erwin sought him in the underground and brought him here, and in the muddled recesses of Levi’s mind, he believed that Erwin was responsible for everything that happened to him, this included.

“Fuck you.” Levi mumbled into the pillows. They smelled of Erwin, of an alpha, and he felt the fever descend upon him. He wanted to rut against the bed. “Bring me to the infirmary.”

“You know I can’t.” Erwin replied softly. “You know I can’t bring an omega in heat across the grounds. You’ll have to wait until morning when I can evacuate the alphas to let you pass through. To try to sneak across now would be—” He faltered, and Levi turned his head in time to see Erwin wearily running a hand down his face. “You smell _ripe._ ”

At that moment, Levi did not feel above thrashing in his superior’s bed like a child throwing a tantrum, though he had to sourly agree that Erwin was right. The medical center was at the far end of the grounds, and to get to it, one had to pass two spacious, sectioned-off areas that housed unbonded omegas and bonded couples that included betas and alphas. Betas were scattered throughout the two areas, since their presence helped to regulate and balance the territories. Most of the unbonded alphas were placed with the bonded couples, and a few, like Erwin, were placed among the unbonded omegas, as too many alphas in one place was asking for a territorial dispute. The infirmary was far enough away from the living quarters that an omega could ride out their heat in peace, but getting there would mean walking right through the compound, or taking a detour around it that would tack on another thirty minutes of walking, as the stables would have long since been locked up for the night.   

Levi snarled, flexing his fingers and grabbing at the sheets. “Ice.” He said through gritted teeth. “Get me ice.”

“I can run you an ice bath.” Erwin suggested.

“No, I’m not getting in your dirty bathtub.” He spat.

Erwin looked like he had a mind to defend the cleanliness of his tub, but decided against it. “Alright. I’ll get you a bucket of ice.” When he stood to leave, Levi curiously eyed the front of Erwin’s thin sleep pants, where a bulge was beginning to form. It was a natural, biological urge for him to be drawn to an alpha during this vulnerable time. He felt the first hot trickle of fluid seep out of him, dampening his underwear and making it stick uncomfortably to his balls.

Erwin paused, nostrils flaring.

He smelled it.

Levi’s heart pounded.

After a brief moment, Erwin cleared his throat, excusing himself, continuing across the room and closing his door behind him. Levi listened for his fading footsteps down the long hall towards the kitchens and remembered staring at Erwin’s ceiling, groin throbbing, contemplating his situation.

Unbonded omegas serving in any faction of the military were required, by law, to suppress at least two of their four heats per year, as heats were seasonal. Some opted to suppress them for the entire year, but it was not advised as medically safe. Omegas calculated their heats to happen in staggered shifts; with enough omegas in one space, their heats tended to sync up, and synchronized heats could put a hundred soldiers out of duty at a time. They couldn’t afford that kind of loss in case of emergency. Those on suppressants for the full year, like Levi, had to take a mandatory two-season detox from the suppressants after six consecutive seasons. This was his first heat since joining the survey corps and he knew right away that this hiccup would put Erwin in a position where he had to order his detox to begin immediately, and have him miss the upcoming expedition.

He felt more annoyance than relief. Growing up with a rough alpha taught him to hate his biology, to be embarrassed of the fact that he was useless four times year, to view himself as a vessel for procreation. As an adult, he went above and beyond to prove himself as more than that, and now, nothing could cause him as much shame as helplessness during a heat. Levi felt a hot swelling of anger creeping up his neck, making him grimace. He hadn’t seen or heard from Kenny in fourteen years, but he knew Levi was an omega years before he presented, and he never let him forget it.

Once he could no longer hear Erwin’s footsteps, Levi rolled over onto his back and unceremoniously shoved his hand down his pants. Climaxing this way would offer little relief in the long run, but it would be enough to take the edge off. He stroked himself unabashedly, breathing in the scent of the alpha’s bed, and it didn’t take him long to reach his peak.

He hadn’t yet caught his breath by the time Erwin had returned, strategically holding the metal bucket in front of his crotch. He breathed harshly out of his mouth, presumably to avoid Levi’s smell, and looked unperturbed at the sight of Levi still gripping his cock in his soiled pants. Before Erwin approached the bed, he tied a piece of cloth around his face, covering his nose.

“Really?” Levi teased, still breathless. “Tch.”

Erwin didn’t answer right away, getting to work wetting a small cloth with ice water to drape across Levi’s forehead. Levi sighed, minutely relieved.

“I’m sorry. I haven’t been this close to an omega in heat in…” Erwin’s voice was quiet and muffled behind the bandana. “Years. Almost ten, I’d say.”

Levi balked, unsure of how to respond to the confession. He suddenly had a dozen invasive questions and it took all the self-control he had left not to blurt them out. “That’s a long time.” He finally said, the dryness in his throat making him rasp.

Erwin nodded in agreement, looking him in the eyes. “Open your mouth.”

Levi obeyed and Erwin placed a few chips of ice on his tongue. He didn’t say thank you, but the warmth in Erwin’s gaze told him that he didn’t need to. It wasn’t long before Levi began to slip out of consciousness, and he knew that he would be in full-blown heat by the time he woke up. With the last of his energy, he grabbed Erwin’s wrist as he tried to replace the towel on his forehead with a new one.

“What’s wrong?” Erwin asked, concerned.

Levi would only recall beginning to speak before succumbing to the dreamless darkness and blinking awake the next morning on a hospital bed, groggy and disoriented.

Once a heat began, it was impossible to stop, but omegas were given sleeping aids to help them through it. He’d be told later, during a moment of clarity while having his vital signs checked, that Erwin diligently watched over him until dawn when he could relocate the unbonded alpha soldiers out of the way to carry Levi to the infirmary. He’d be told that he kept waking up to Erwin’s scent because he stopped by several times while Levi was asleep, asking how he was doing and sometimes lingering by his side.

It made Levi’s cheeks burn. The beta nurses smiled politely as they left, leaving him alone in the private, scent-locked, soundproofed room with a large wooden chest on the table.

It was labelled ‘ _Levi, Squad Gerger_ ’ with Gerger’s name crossed out, and ‘ _HEAT SUPPLEMENTS_ ’ underneath; a pretentious way to refer to a collection of sex toys. Levi knew the contents intimately, as he had selected them himself upon registering as an unbonded omega at his first medical exam. Opening the chest, he was hit with the smell of disinfectant, which both irritated his nose in his state of heightened senses and relieved him with the promise of cleanliness in equal measure. Pride and shame went out the window as he feverishly selected the largest plug in the collection and kicked his blankets away.

Before he fell asleep again, he came three times with the smell of Erwin still hanging in the air.

\--

That’s when it began, according to Levi. That was the point when Erwin began to keep a closer eye on him and take more of an interest in his day-to-day life, his hobbies, his work, and his health. He wasn’t softer by any means, just more attentive. Erwin made it a point to speak to him at least once a day, even if it meant going out of his way to seek him out to exchange a few more words than either of them were used to, and then see him off with a concentrated gaze. Feeling Erwin’s eyes on the back of his neck made his skin prickle, but it didn’t feel uncomfortable. Whatever his intentions were, Levi was sure he meant no harm.

It would make sense that Erwin would behave this way after Levi had come to him that night. He was still unsure whether he regretted it or not.

After a month of this strange treatment, Erwin began to give him even more attention, though it wasn’t entirely positive. If they happened to be caught in the mess hall together, he usually had a comment about Levi’s food not being substantial enough. “Are you afraid of greens?” He would ask before boldly spooning the mixed salad off his own plate and onto Levi’s. He would check in on Levi when he was training in one of the gym rooms, eying the weights he was lifting and watching him complete a number of reps before leaving. If Erwin saw him sneaking away to have a cup of tea, he redirected him and sent Levi off to help various superiors with whatever they needed, be it as tedious as oiling horse tack or as menial as overseeing the younger recruits while they wash and hang the laundry. While none of these tasks were especially difficult, the extra duties were cutting into Levi’s personal cleaning time.

A short while later, he heard the circulating rumours of Erwin’s upcoming promotion, and his newfound austerity began to make sense. For one reason or another, Commander Shadis was stepping down. It was the first time a new commander would be appointed while the previous one was still alive; a true testament to Erwin’s hard work and ingenuity. Levi could appreciate that and couldn’t fault him for wanting to be stricter with his soldiers in preparation, as taxing as it was, until Erwin had had Levi meet with him in his office to issue him a new schedule.

“What is this...” He glanced down at the page in his hand. “Am I being punished for something?”

“No. It’s your itinerary for the next three weeks.”

Levi looked at him curiously. “Why?”

“Initially, I had allowed you to skip the training period, but you cannot be exempt from it forever.”

“What the fuck?” Levi narrowed his eyes. “I’m already lethal in battle and you know that. What’s the point now?”

“The point is that you are lacking technical information.” Erwin said firmly. “You know how to use the gear, but you don’t know what each part is called, what it does, or how to quickly replace or fix it in an emergency. You still have limited knowledge about titan biology. I need you to become familiar with the landscape outside the walls before the next expedition so you’ll need to be able to properly read a map. I’ve arranged for the team leaders to meet with you to instruct you on these things. Furthermore—”

Levi usually knew better than to interrupt, but his patience had worn thin. “First you start following me around like I need fucking supervision, then you start giving me bullshit extra duties on top of the work I already have to do, and now I’m being sent to fucking trainee camp as if I haven’t already served for a year? What is this, Erwin?” He slams the paper down on the desk. “Disciplinary action? Trying to assert your dominance over me because of that night?”

“Levi.”

“You’re not the commander yet. So what the fuck is this? A power trip?”

“Levi,” He had taken a more forceful tone, but Levi pushed on.

“You think I need an alpha?”

“ _Levi._ ” Erwin’s snarl resonated, loud in the quiet office. He rose from his seat, towering over him and baring his teeth. His scent soured with agitation. “Stand down.”

Though Levi didn’t waver under his gaze, he withdrew, growling under his breath and looking away.

“Furthermore,” He continued gently. “You will meet with me for one hour every day for literacy edification purposes.”

“For _what_?”

“I just want to work with you to improve your reading comprehension and penmanship.”

Levi steeled his jaw. The soft way Erwin spoke to him made it less humiliating, but it was still difficult not to be embarrassed when his limited education was mentioned. “But why? Why is this necessary? As a soldier, when will I ever need to utilize those skills?”

Erwin sat down, straightening up in his chair. “You’ll need them.” He said it with a finality that Levi knew he could not argue with. “Dismissed.”

It was out of Levi’s hands.

\--

There was surely a reason for all of this.

“Maybe he thinks you’ll try to kill him again. Can’t say for sure.” Team leader Mike Zacharias had proposed unhelpfully, spotting Levi as he lifted a barbell nearly twice his weight.

“He’s just making you pay your dues like the rest of us.” Team leader Hange Zoe insisted over before their long-winded titan history lesson, with a grin Levi didn’t trust.

Nevertheless, he spent his days training, learning, and working. He tweaked his spin maneuvers until his accuracy matched his speed, he practiced refilling his gas and blades until he could do it in seconds with his eyes shut, he even scaled the walls and learned how to use a cannon. In the little spare time he had, he kept his knifework skills sharp, using daggers and blades and butter knives smuggled out of the kitchens.

These improvements didn’t go unnoticed. Though he had been serving for over a year now, he was still treated with general wariness among the other soldiers. That began to change. The more social he was forced to be during group tasks, as per Erwin’s orders, the more at ease he felt around others. He was not a gregarious man and it was a far stretch from friendship, but having a few good-natured people join his table for lunch was a change he couldn’t disagree to.

In the evenings, he pored over maps until he could plot and replot every landmark, every town, and every well-travelled expedition path. He assessed and reviewed dozens of files, listing names and stats of every soldier in the survey corps. He read and wrote until he could compose a coherent and legible mission report, all under Erwin’s attentive eye. And if Levi began to sleep better after spending his evenings in Erwin’s office, soaking up his scent and carrying it with him to bed, it was nobody’s business but his own.

A fortnight after his three-week training had ended, Shadis officially stepped down. Shortly after that, a low key ceremony was held to name his successor.

Commander Smith.

Erwin’s first act as commander was to promote Hange and Mike to squad leaders. After getting to know them, Levi knew it was a smart move. They were invaluable soldiers, exceptionally skilled and complementary as a team. It seemed a divine coincidence that they were both betas, perfectly suited to carry out orders under their alpha. Erwin had clearly chosen them with the kind of tactical precision anyone would expect from him.

His second act was giving Levi a horse.

“This is…”

“She doesn’t have a name.” Erwin said, patting her flank. Between the afternoon ceremony and the celebratory dinner, they claimed a moment of privacy in the west stables. “Do you have any ideas?”

“You’re giving me my own horse.” Levi said, looking up at the tall, black mare. She snorted, her hot breath rustling his hair.

“Yes.” Erwin smoothed his hand through her mane. “She’s fast and has a bit of an attitude. I thought it was a good match.”

He jammed his tongue into his cheek in an effort to stop himself from asking, but he couldn’t help himself. “Are you ever going to tell me what’s going on?”

When Erwin looked him in the eyes, Levi confidently held his gaze. A challenge, to see who would bend first. A long moment passed between them before he replied. “You’ve done well, Levi. Not just in the past few weeks, but since I recruited you. You’ve always had something I sought. I’m grateful that I was able to see you blossom.”

“‘ _Blossom_ ’.” Levi repeated, mockingly. “As if I’m a plant.”

Unbothered, he continued. “When you chose, that day, to follow me,” Erwin took a step toward him. “You did so knowing that you had to trust me. And you did. When you came to me that night of your heat—”

At that, Levi pursed his lips, but didn’t avert his eyes.

“—it became clear to me, how deep that trust ran.”

“Get to the point.” Levi muttered in warning.

Erwin smiled. It was a subtle quirk of the lips, barely a smile on anyone else, but it caught Levi off-guard. “I wanted to know that I could trust you, too.” Erwin offered the horse’s reins to him.

Realization set as he curled his fingers around the leather.

The rapport he built with the other soldiers. Working closely with the newly-appointed squad leaders. Writing mission reports and memorizing maps. These duties went beyond those of the average survey corps member. Those duties went beyond even that of a team leader. There was structure to it, there was a purpose. A method to his madness.

“You were grooming me. You’re giving me a personal horse because I’m being promoted.”

Standing this closely, Erwin’s scent was heavy in his nose. His smile, more pronounced now, dimpled his chin as he made to walk past Levi and out of the stables. Their arms brushed. “Very good, _captain_.”

Things were never out of his hands; they were firmly in Erwin’s.

**Author's Note:**

> fic title taken from "fever" by peggy lee. find me on [tumblr](http://eruriv.tumblr.com).


End file.
